


Bright New Eyes

by believersneverdie



Category: Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Soulmates, whouffaldi, whouffle
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-14
Updated: 2015-10-14
Packaged: 2018-04-26 09:49:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5000161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/believersneverdie/pseuds/believersneverdie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Doctor & Clara Soulmate AU</p>
<p>All her life, right from the minute she was born, Clara Oswald saw the world in black and white.<br/>There was no life, no vibrancy- everything to her looked dead and washed away; like faded memories being dragged to sea by relentless waves, white washed, faded and never to be seen again. Just how she viewed love to be.</p>
<p>That is, until she met her soulmate</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bright New Eyes

**Author's Note:**

> I had inspiration to write this from a Tumblr post, I really hope I did the fandom justice for this one!  
> Inspiration also occurred from Paramore's songs 'Playing God' and 'The Only Exception'
> 
> If you wish for me to write any other AU'S you may have for this particular ship, feel free to contact me, I don't bite (:  
> You can either message me here, on my instagram @capalccino or on my new Tumblr twelveshourhasbegun
> 
> Thank you and I hope you enjoy!

All her life, right from the minute she was born, Clara Oswald saw the world in black and white.  
There was no life, no vibrancy- everything to her looked dead and washed away; like faded memories being dragged to sea by relentless waves, white washed, faded and never to be seen again. Just how she viewed love to be.  
Everyone in this world suffered the same fates however, it wasn't just herself. Everyone was born with the ability to only witness the world in monotone; to hear only the mundane side of conversations, and not feel the coloured freedom their life had to offer.

That is, until they meet their soul mate of course.

From the poison of this putrid 'curse' that seemed to hang over humanity like a shadow, the only antidote seemed to be love; just like the outcomes of a fairytale- that whole 'love conquers all' malarkey. In Clara's opinion it all seemed pathetic and untrue.   
Sure, when she was a little girl growing up her mother and father told her the tales of the day they finally became blessed with coloured sight; how the day they met was the day the world finally became alive and that their lives had never been the same ever since. And Clara, little Clara Oswald at that time, believed and dreamed to her hearts content for the day she finally saw the world as she wanted it to be. She wanted to live her fairytale to the fullest.  
Yet it never came: her teenage years came and went, like she was watching her life play out in front of her in a movie, just flashes and snapshots of shit memories and 'could have beens' but never were. Her friends, friends like Nina who were once just like her- ghosts living in a sea of grey, apparently found their true sight when men and women came into their lives and off they flew. Leaving the nest and spreading their wings with their true soulmates, eternally dancing in the new colours of the world and the apparent 'blue miracles of the sky' and 'the bright green leaves Clara! You won't believe this but trees' leaves are many shades of green!'  
And it seemed to Clara like it was just her, alone in her misery and self pity; her friends had gone to begin experiencing their lives for the first time, and she was just the left behinds. One undeveloped, faulty photo hung up to dry within a sea of coloured photographs. Her photographer clearly not liking her image as much as the more fortunate ones.

It was from that day onwards that she became engrossed in English; living the lives in worlds created by those who mastered the craft of words, and could also see life in colour themselves. She got her degrees, studied hard and eventually became a teacher of the subject- her goal being to inspire young children to dream impossible dreams, much like she had been by her parents. Yet also in hopes of restoring her own broken faith.  
Dismissing her last class for today with a well placed, also well practiced fake smile, Clara eventually slumped into her desk when the last child disappeared out of sight and buried her head in her hands. The way she saw it, life was one massive, dismal and grey bird cage; her friends were the extravagant cockateels that had fled the nest years ago- living in colour and enjoying every aspect. Yet what did that make herself?  
She was the smallest Canary, life's little entertainment piece as everyone watched her fly around and around in circles, unable to get free. Sitting up a bit straighter, Clara grimaced at the thought and shoved her pencil off the desk in a pathetic; minute attempt at a tantrum. 

Life was one big game, and she wasn't going to continue singing her song any longer.

\- // -

 

"Miss Oswald, Can you tell us about the colours? Is it really true that you can see colour when you meet the love of your life?!" One pupil, Courtney if she remember correctly, asked her eagerly next morning; eyes as wide as saucers in wonder.  
And of course, as it always was in younger education, everyone else piped up at the question in excitement, eagerly anticipating their teacher's answer.  
Swallowing the lump in her throat, Clara cast her eyes downwards in order to compose herself before answering; collectedly leaning against her desk for some form of support- because Hell knows how much she needed it right now. "If I really must.." She began with an under layer of resentment in her tone; directing her eyes upwards in order to meet her pupils' faces. "Truth be told, I can't see colour myself yet either. Everything here in this room is grey and dull,"  
Just like my heart, she thought bitterly.  
Liam scrunched his face in confusion, "Wait, if we can't see colour.. How do we know what each colour is and what name? I don't understand, surely any colour would be red, or blue, or green. How do we know, is it magic?!" He gasped.  
Clara stifled a chuckle at this. "Good question Liam, it's something we all wonder about. In terms of correct answers, I'm really not sure- however I do know that it's something along the lines of this: apparently our brains code colours fine, we know what colours meant to be which for each item on earth, or possibilities it could be. For example we all know the sky's blue, and the grass is green. Yet we can't see it, there's nothing wrong with our brains and understanding... It's our eyes."  
For emphasis, she moved towards the left side of the classroom and picked up a single text book, "this book here for example, it's just grey to me, all the words and pages are just grey, black and white." She then dropped the text book down and indicated to a select handful of students; Courtney herself, Liam and Rhianne. "Each and every one of you are the same colour, there's nothing colour wise that sets you apart, only your names and how you look."  
At this, she saw a few students nod in agreement; they understood exactly how Clara felt, which made this slightly easier for the teacher on her part.   
"However, all my friends have gone off with the men and women they love, their soulmates, and have described to me the colour they feel, the colour they now see for themselves- everything they've been dreaming of finally coming to life." A small smile dared to grace her lips, yet it wasn't happy- no, it was hopeful. "People could argue that some people lie, that the colours they describe are lies. Yet I solely believe that once you find the man or woman that's destined for you, that's the moment you're alive; and the colour that your eyes finally become exposed to represents that magical moment." With a small sigh, her uplifting speech had came to a downfall, and her tired, broken eyes conveyed that. "I believe that all of you, in time, will find your soulmates. It's just a matter of how kind time is to you."  
I just hope time would hurry up for me... She hummed.  
"Don't worry Miss!" Lucy chirped up from towards the back of the room, a dreamy expression on her little face, "I know you'll find your soulmate soon, you really deserve it!"  
Clara, at this, managed a small smile. "Thank you Lucy. Alright kids, class dismissed, you can all go!" 

She just hoped what Lucy said was true...

 

\- // -

 

Little did Clara know however, what Lucy had said was entirely true. Little things often occur at the best albeit least expected moments in life, and those little things often have the power to change the world; those are the things we call miracles.   
Clara's miracle however wasn't as small as some: it was rather big infact, otherworldly and extraterrestrial, gift wrapped in the form of a mad man in a big blue telephone box. Her miracle was the Doctor.  
He exploded into her life in tweed cladded glory, topped with a red bow tie and a chin that could easily take out an eye or two, or so she figured. He whisked her away in that blue snogbox of his and showed her planets and galaxies, things she never even realised existed. It was literally a dream come true beyond her wildest of imagination; and whilst she experienced thrills and adventures to last a lifetime- well, all of time and space to be precise- there was still something missing...   
A sort of void feeling within herself, a blank space that needed to be filled with just the smallest touch in order to make herself feel whole, complete.   
Despite everything she saw, every little breathtaking detail, it was still dull and grey.  
No colour had entered her life, just as before.  
As she thought this to herself she was sat nestled in a chair within the TARDIS console, watching her Chin Boy at work tinkering with the main frame, rambling about odd nonsense and other adventures they could have within the future.  
"Doctor?" She found herself asking before she could stop herself.  
The Time Lord perked up instantly, depicting the persona of a meerkat. "Yes Clara, what's the matter?"  
"I was just wondering.. Do you.." She faltered slightly, "Do you see colour?"  
At first the Doctor was slightly perplexed, wondering why such a question was asked, but then it suddenly dawned on him.  
"Oh!" He coughed slightly, and it was then that Clara immediately knew she'd hit a bad topic for the ancient man, and she instantly began to regret it. "Actually Doctor, forget I asked I'm sorry I didn't realise it was a touchy su-"  
"No Clara it's okay, I- it would be best if I spit it out. A problem shared is a problem halved right?" He chuckled sombrely before continuing, tweaking his bow tie, a nervous habit Clara picked up on.   
"I used to see Colour, you see. As we Time Lord's are different from you humans, we were born with our eyes capable of seeing colour. It was such a remarkable thing- I still remember it now: how the skies melted with deep oranges, mixed with yellow hues, the burning colours of Gallifrey made everything worthwhile.. But-"  
At this, Clara found herself inching closer to him in comfort, something she sensed he needed. That was her job, his impossible girl- there to catch him whenever he fell off of his high horse. She constricted her arms comfortingly around his waist, leaning her head against his shoulder as they both held each other in a rather loving embrace. "But?" She pressed gently.  
The Doctor sighed and relaxed his tense muscles, practically submerging himself into Clara, her embrace; wishing to be kept there. "But then the Time War happened, and I destroyed them all; destroyed Gallifrey and all my people, and seemingly as a price to pay for that, the colour faded slowly but surely from my life. Now all I see is grey, black and white, just like you Clara. The only colour I live in is memories; like a paintbrush half dipped in paint and clinging on stubbornly to any traces of that paint left once it's been washed."  
Forcing the tears back, Clara swallowed and attempted to speak out, yet it emerged as a mere whisper. "How- how long has it been since.. You know?"   
At this, the Lord of Time rested his chin atop her head and wrapped his arms tighter around his impossible companion, closing his eyes in hopes of seeing the old colour that he missed- that he dreamt of at night.  
"Centuries Clara.. I haven't seen colour in centuries."  
This time, Clara couldn't help the strangled sob that escaped her lips at hearing the Doctor's words; it broke her heart to imagine how broken he must be. She was barely surviving having not seen colour in over 25 years, she couldn't get to grips with how she'd survive if it had been centuries for her too. "Doctor I'm so sorry..." She whimpered, burrowing closer against his chest, her palms tracing soothing patterns across his chest, between his twinned hearts in order to try and restore some form of calm.  
"It's okay Clara, there's no need to apologise." He pressed a chaste kiss into her hair and looked out at the stars in front of them, a wistful look within his ancient eyes. "Maybe colour will return to the both of us in due time,"

He hoped this was in fact true. For both Clara's sake and his own.

It took a long time for Clara to notice, but time after time she noticed more; she heard more. More and more she travelled with the Doctor and his magical blue box, continued saving lives, planets and seeing wonders- yet something was happening inside of her, something minute, but something nonetheless.  
First it was a bush of random, alien like flowers on the Skarrhon planet near what the Doctor deemed as 'The Milky Way version 2.0'; they'd been running away from rabid space dogs and had seemingly given them the slip. While the Doctor had peeked around the corner of the archway in the maze of Gardens they were situated in, in the corner of Clara's eye she noticed something rather odd. Putting the Doctor's rambling on mute, she turned and stalked closer towards the peculiar bush to have a closer look. Fingers outstretched she took ahold of one flower in particular situated right in the middle.  
It looked like the alien equivalent of a Rose on earth, it had the same features and thorns on its stem- yet that wasn't what she was interested in. Oh no- it was the colour she was more preoccupied with.  
She could have sworn, throughout the grey haze that was her normal, everyday vision- she could distinguish a haze of dull red- the flames colour the Doctor had showed her once within her head, like it belonged on Gallifrey.  
Was she.. Was she really seeing colour?!  
"Clara, there you are! Come along I think it's safe to go, blimey those dogs gave us quite a run. How exhilarating!" The Doctor interrupted in a hyperactive frenzy before she could question herself any more, grabbing her hand and whisking her off to explore some more.  
For now, the Rose was forgotten about.

That was, until a similar happening occurred again for a second time.

This time it was in the comfort of the TARDIS console: The Doctor and herself had been eagerly chatting away about their latest adventure and how a visit to an excellent alien spa was in order ( apparently the people there owed him a favour, something she'd rather not delve into ). "So what actually is at this spa? I'm not going to have some alien octopus with tentacle-things touching me all over am I? Because if so you can coun-"  
Clara's sentence died in her throat in that very moment, as her attention had been caught by something else yet again.  
A flicker of dull blue this time- yes it was definitely blue! On the TARDIS console, the actual mainframe was flashing random sequences of blue digits from its lights beside the buttons and knobs.   
No way was this happening..  
"Clara?" Suddenly the Doctor was in front of her, snapping slender fingers in her face to try and break her from her small daydream. "Earth to Clara! Is something wrong?"  
He grabbed hold of her shoulders and shook her gently; this was enough to rouse his companion out of her reverie. Her eyes flickered straight into his, her mouth open slightly in awe. "N-no nothing's wrong I just. Holy soufflé I think I saw something."  
Taking the wrong end of the stick, the Lord of Time ran a hand through his boyish hair and darted around the TARDIS in an entanglement of long limbs. "What do you mean you saw something? Something in the TARDIS? That's impossible how can anyone get on the TARDIS apart from me and you, are you completely sure?"  
Clara however didn't answer, for she'd seen something else. On the Doctor this time: his clothing, bowtie a slightly hazy red colour, like the rose she saw; his jacket was coloured a mixture of grey and navy- she couldn't really make it out that clearly. But his eyes..  
They were the most entrancing thing she'd ever witnessed; the swamp of grey slightly clearing to view a sea of green, painted lightly with blue flecks depicting the sea on a brisk and sweet morning, parting the grey clouds where they and the sky met.

Stepping forward slowly, hands outstretched as she neared his sculptured face, taking his cheeks in her palms and just staring. This was enough to cause the Doctor to stop in his tracks and just look, for one moment just take her all in; his impossible girl. "Clara- I. Are you okay?" Truth be told he was actually worried for his companion now, because it seemed like she was very close to tears- her hands trembling slightly in slight shock.  
"Shut up.. Chin Boy just shut up and tell me something." She interrupted curtly, her mouth curving into a breathtaking smile, one that would put the Cheshire Cat to shame.  
"Tell you what?"  
"Your eyes.. They're so beautiful.. I.." She shook herself. "No. Just tell me Doctor-" she produced a laugh, real, genuine laughter at the miracle that was happening. "Do you see this? Do you see what I'm seeing when I'm looking around, looking at you?!"  
Her heart was hammering wildly against her chest in disbelief, after all this time, all this waiting- she was beginning to see; she was beginning to live! Sure, it was faint, still tangled in webs of grey but she was starting to make out colours! This was her dream coming true... All because of him; her heart was his, and his hearts were hers.  
Words would never had prepared her for his reply.  
The said humming bird that was her heart, trapped in her ribs cage, lost control. Crashed and smacked hollowly against it's confinement- stopping dead and spiralling towards the pit of her stomach and towards her feet- bones exposed.  
"What are you talking about? I don't see anything different Clara?"

And in that moment Clara witnessed her last bit of hope; the last piece of her heat that hadn't been contaminated with disbelief and corrupted with dark thoughts about how alone she really was, fade to grey. Grey like her vision, grey like ever piece of colour she'd ever see or the rest of her life.  
The way Clara saw it now- she'd never see colour again.

 

\- // -

 

That was 4 months ago, and during that time Clara had been wasting away within her flat she situated herself in. The only thing keeping herself busy, and therefore distracted from any hurt she still possessed was her job as a Teacher still.  
She did as best as she could- licked her wounds and got on with it, trying to forget the Doctor as much as possible. Yet whenever she was alone, and when silence loitered within the air like the wind, her mind often drifted to him, and wondered what exactly he was continuing to do in that mad little box of his- did he still think of her?

Did it hurt him, as much as it was hurting her..?

Days turned tediously by into weeks, and those long and mundane weeks turned into more months, and little by little the wounds Clara had suffered that fateful day had began to bleed her dry. Clara Oswald didn't even feel like Clara Oswald anymore- she felt like just a shell.  
More of her students came and went, finding their soul mates early on and documenting their miraculous experiences to her about the colours and vibrancy the now witnessed. On the outside Clara was ecstatic for them all- however on the inside, it just made her break even more about how lonely she really was; allowing her to wallow in the realisation of what she'd lost- the man who was out there floating amongst the stars.  
A broken man, a broken woman. Both colourless in time.

 

\- // -

 

The Doctor had always been a broken man, but now more so than ever before. He'd grew darker, more conflicted and intimidating- he wasn't the same man anymore, both inside and out.  
His tweed jacket and bow tie was now discarded for a more fitting look, a blue button up coat with red inner lining that had the persona of a magician, and a black sweater with holes in. Boyish humour had been replaced with a gruff Scottish accent and a fierce scowl; icy hurricanes whipping up a storm within blue eyes. Hair once brown and youthful, now donned a silvery toned nest of curls.  
The young childish boy, had now become a dark yet suave silver fox of a man.  
And that man swore he was going to get his Clara back. For it was now he realised- when he'd regenerated he'd seen flashes of her in his mind's eye; but also splashes of colour like flecks of paint from a paintbrush.  
It was then, that the Doctor finally realised what Clara had seen all those months ago. She'd seen her life unfold, become anew and fresh, and she'd seen the man she'd spend the rest of her life with. She'd seen colour.  
Yet he hadn't, not that version of him.  
But now, he'd finally found his permanent companion, and he was fighting to get her back to him.

For Clara it was just another normal, human day; a day void from colour, just like the rest of her life had and will always be. Thankfully it was a weekend, which meant that she didn't have to go to work with the same old routine: fake smiles, speak to children who could sometimes be deemed annoying and are doing seemingly better at romance than she ever could, and conversations she longed to avoid. Yet days like this were always a double edged sword- no work meant that she'd be doing nothing, because she had nothing to do, and doing nothing meant no distractions; which in itself meant more emotional turmoil for her to endure.  
She was nursing a cup of coffee in both hands- her only source of life at the moment- keeping the monsters of nightmarish sleep at bay and other mental demons- and contemplating whether she should just watch a corny romance film, or just wallow away into nothing.  
The latter then, she seemingly decided as the television remote upon the table seemed too far away to reach.  
"I wonder what the Doctor's-"  
Suddenly her train of thought was cut curtly short as the familiar noise of the TARDIS rang out through the silence of her flat, and soon enough the space beside her door that was once void of anything, now occupied the familiar furbishment of the blue telephone box.  
What she didn't expect however, was who stepped out of it in a cold frenzy, magicians coat flapping behind him wildly. "Clara!" He gasped, blue eyes setting upon her smaller, more feeble frame. Before she could even utter a simple sentence he'd swooped over with all the grace of an Eagle and snatched her up into his arms, spinning them around nearly in a small circle- one hand nestled neatly within her waved locks, and the other around her waist. "Oh Clara, Clara Clara. My Clara." He repeated like a mantra, his voice- she noticed, a more deeper sounding Scottish lilt, making it seem like every sentence he spoke was more like a purr.  
"Do-Doctor?" She gasped, eyes blown as wide as saucers. "What happened you've changed, you're not Chin Boy anymore? You've got attack eyebrows now-" she mused lightly, leaning back within his hold to take his appearance in.  
At her comment he scowled slightly, voice sounding as gruff and as annoyed as ever. "They're not 'attack eyebrows', you're just jealous because you don't have them." He shot back childishly, portraying that he still had those old childish traits within him somewhere. However then be became more serious and banterous, a personality more fitted to this incarnation. "And of course it's me who else would it be? Has your absence from me made you stupid? Silly little humans and their pudding brains-" he chided, scowling at nothing in particular before continuing. "No wonder, people obviously grow smarter when they're around me, must be through osmosis."   
Clara couldn't help but snort at his remark, clearly this one had a big ego. "Oi! For your information I'm not stupid, and I do not have a 'pudding brain' or whatever it is you want to call it." Her eyes then grew serious, glaring daggers at the Time Lord in front of her, "Me being like this is YOUR fault, I left YOU, because YOU obviously couldn't see what I was seeing. Don't you realise how much that hurt me?! Do yo have any idea at all?" By the end Clara's anger had puttered out and had instead become laced with sorrow; mournful sorrow that she'd kept bottled up for those many months of them being apart- now finally drifting towards the surface.  
Seeing her sob against his chest only made the Doctor clutch at his companion harder than ever; almost as if he was afraid of them drifting apart again- she was a rare treasure, something he never wanted to lose. "Oh Clara.." He began, hearts breaking at the state of her, "Clara I'm sorry, I was a fool. I'm so sorry I couldn't see before- but now- I promise you with every fibre of my being, I see. I witnessed a flash of what you saw, the colour." He swallowed slightly, feeling rather nervous at what he was about to ask- it seemed this version of him would have to take a while to get used to some forms of devotion and affection. "I want you to show me again. Properly this time.. With this me, this new face." His slender fingers latched onto her chin and pulled it upwards so they were looking at each other, eye to eye, soul to soul. "Show me the colour you saw."  
He needn't have said any more, as Clara smashed her plush lips against his own; entangling her fingers within his curled nest of hair and becoming lost within him, as he became lost within her.  
"Clara,"  
"Doctor."  
They mumbled lovingly against each other simultaneously, fingers exploring both their bodies as they become more engrossed in one another and the wonders they possessed.  
Just as they confessed their dying love for one another, the miracle both of them were looking for, it happened.  
All at once, a dull ache behind their closed eyes occurred, and then all that surrounded the couple were blinding colours and lights- explosions of neon and vibrant shades and hues of so many different colours, bathing them like the sea.  
To the Doctor, it was like home- the burning fires and cool colours of Gallifrey bare witness to him once again, and at last, he felt at peace.  
To Clara, it was art, dreams; impossible fairytale told when she was but a small girl.  
It was everything both of them had ever dreamt of and more.

When they finally parted for air, foreheads resting against each other, they finally opened their eyes and took a good look at their soulmate standing before them.  
Clara took one look at the silver haired, Icy eyed Doctor- her Doctor, and crumbled. "Oh my god, I can see you.. Doctor I can actually see you, who you really are.. Your colours." She traced the outlines of his face and clothing, every detail, every wrinkle. "You look so handsome..."  
While she was busy with him, the Doctor meanwhile was drinking his soulmate in, from her luscious brown hair and large doe eyes, right down to her milky skin and colourful attire. "And you, Clara. My Clara, you look beautiful, impossible."  
Pressing another chaste kiss to her temple, the Time Lord took her hand and slowly lead her towards his magical blue- Clara could actually see for herself that it was Blue now, the deepest shade she'd ever imagined- box, and held the door open for her like the gentleman he was.  
"Shall we? We have all of Time and Space to witness in colour, with our own eyes this time. Are you ready?" He proposed.  
And for the first time in her life, Clara smiled, a genuine smile that lit up the entire room, eyes sparkling with wonder, enlightenment and unshed tears.  
"Always."

 

And so, the Lord of Time and his Impossible Girl began their adventures of travelling the stars, and after 27 years and Centuries; they began to live life with a lot more colour.


End file.
